Elevator attachment



(No Model.)

, L. SENIOR;

ELEVATOR ATTACHMENT.

Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

WITH-E8858 ilNirnn STATES PATENT Fries.

LUKE SENIOR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.-

ELEVATOR ATTACH M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,201, dated January12, 1886. Application filed July 23, 1885. Serial No. 172,352. (Nomodel.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUKE SENIOR, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahogaand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElevator Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in elevator attachments in which aguard-plank or equivalent is hinged to the front edge of theelevator-platform, and arranged to stand upright edgewise while theelevator is moving, to serve as a guard to prevent passengers or freightfrom being caught between the elevatorplatform and the floor of thebuilding. Suitable mechanism is provided for tilting the plank outwardto overlap and rest on the floor of the building opposite which theelevatorplatform happens to be, to the end that the tilting plank mayserve as a gang-plank for the passage of freight or passengers to orfrom the elevator.

With these objects in View my invention consists in certain features ofconstruction,and in combination of parts hereinafter described, andpointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in perspective of anelevator-platform showing my improvement attached, the latter being inan upright position. Fig. 2 is the same view, but with the guard-planklowered upon the adjacent floor. Fig. 3 is a View in perspective of theguard-plank in a horizontal position. Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly insection, of a portion of a guard-plank, showing the spring attachment.Figs. 5 and 6 are end views of the guard-plank, showing the stops,respectively, for lowering the plank in the upward and downward movementof the elevator.

A are guard-planks that are hinged to the edge of the elevator-platformA, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the plank may tilt outward; but when inan upright position are held by the hinge from turning inward. Mortisesa are made in the bottom edge of the plank, near the ends thereof, androds 1; are inserted lengthwise of the plank, and extend,respectively,through the center of the mortises, and on each rod ismounted a coil-spring, 0, one end of each Spring engaging the plank andthe other end engaging the platform, with the arrangement of parts suchthat when the plank is tilted outward the springs are compressed, andthe recoil of the springs will elevate the plank to the upright positionshown in Fig. 1.

B and B are levers of the bell-crank variety, that are pivoted inreverse position on the rods 1), the levers B being arranged with theshort or lateral arms extending outward, or from the elevator, (see Fig.5,) while the levers B are arranged with their lateral arms extendinginward, or toward the elevator, the same plank having a lever, B, and alever, B, connected therewith. Abutmentpins d are driven into the endsof the guard-plank in front of the upright arms of the levers B and B,and springs d are arranged at the rear to hold the levers in an uprightposition against the abutment pins. Stops E and E are attached to thediflerent floors of the building in position to respectively engage therespective levers. The arrangement of these stops in their relativeposition to the levers is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. When the elevator isascending and the toe of the lever B engages the stop E,the lever istilted, and by means of the pin d tilts the plank and brings it down onthe floor in the position shown in Fig. 1. As the elevator passes thefloor, the toe of the lever draws off of the stop,and the springs 0return the plank to an upright position. \Vhen the elevator isdescending, and the toe of the lever B strikes the stop E,the lever istilted rearward against the action of the spring (1', and withoutdisturbing the plank. On the other hand,when the elevator is ascendingand the toe of the lever B strikes the stop E, the lever is tiltedrearward without moving the plank. Then the elevator is descending, theengagement of the toe with the stop E tilts the lever and the plank islowered onto thefloor. As a lever, B, and a lever, B, are connected witheach plank A, it follows that the plank in passing each floor that isprovided with the stops E and E, arranged as aforesaid, will be tilteddown upon the floor both with the ascent and descent of the elevator.The planks A in the upright position form guards that prevent shiftingfreight from protruding beyond the edge of the elevator, and preventpassengers from inadvertently thrusting the feet in dangerous proximityto the passing floors. The planks A,in the hori' zontal position thatthey assume when the elevator is opposite a floor,serve as gang-planks,and for this purpose the edges of the planks should be chamfered, asshown in Fig. 3.

The device is simple, cheap, and effective. Of course metal plates maybe substituted in place of planks, or two or more planks or a frame-workof any desired width,may be used.

What I claim is 1. An elevator attachment oonsisting,essentially, of aplank, or equivalent, hinged to the edge of the elevator-platform,springs for holding the plank in and returning the same to an uprightposition, and stops for tilting the plank to a horizontal position inpassing the respective floors of the building, substantially as setforth.

LUKE SENIOR.

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. H. Donnn, ALBERT E. LYNCH.

